19

In 1965 Vietnam seemed like just another foreign war but it wasn't
It was different in many ways
And so were those who did the fighting
In World War II the average age of the combat soldier was 26
In Vietnam it was 19

The heaviest fighting of the past two weeks
Continued today 25 miles northwest of Saigon

I wasn't really sure what was going on 19

In Vietnam the combat soldier typically served
A twelve-month tour of duty
But was exposed to hostile fire
Almost everyday

In Saigon U.S. Military spokesman said today
More than 700 enemy troops were killed last week
In that sensitive border area
Throughout all of south Vietnam the enemy lost
A total of 2,689 soldiers

All those who remember the war
They won't forget what they've seen
Destruction of men in their prime
Whose average age was 19

According to a veterans administration study
Half of Vietnam combat veterans
Suffer from what psychiatrists call
Post traumatic stress disorder
Many vets complain of alienation, rage of guilt
Some succumb to suicidal thoughts
Eight to ten years after coming home
Almost 800,000 men are still fighting
the Vietnam War